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Tuning a 6.5 with stock Chip & Turbo Master.

Matt Bachand

Matt Bachand

Depends on the 6.5
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Location
Worcester, MA
I have recently just REALLY backed off my TM and I have way more power at low rpm with less boost.

In fact, Unless your calling for high fuel demands, boost will make you slower, not faster I think.

For my stock setup I have this thing so backed off climbing steep highway grades at 65 I'm pushing 6-7psi now. I maintain 65 easier, and don't worry about the boost climbing.

I don't like my boost over 9 I don't see the benefit except higher IAT's, and more parasitic tax of the engine, not to mention exponential pressure increases on the block.

I blow NO black smoke what so ever, so I think I may back it off even more.

I am noticing great low end power increase and its so much so I know it will show up on my MPG's.

I'm not sure why everyone is so hyped out about high boost values, unless you can push enough fuel to 'roll coal' out the pipe, that extra boost will make you go slower, not faster.

Thoughts and opinions?
 
Oh and with a stock program this is what I had been trying to explain about TM users. Stock program does not have the dynamic range for a TM that my program that puts out twice as much fuel has. So you should not be hitting 12psi with a stock program. You should only be getting 8psi or so on a sustained load because you have only half the potential fuel and power that I have. So you can't knock high boost until you've had the ability to use it.
 
Exactly why I backed my TM down so much. I was wasting drive energy as I don't have the modified fuel tables.

I'm not knocking boost, just in stock trim I am. (thus the thread title).

I know I'm heavier than the average unit (without a trailer attached), and towing heavily the extra boost may come in handy to keep EGT's in check.

I figured I'd open this thread up for members new and old who are looking to tweak their mostly stock 6.5's.

It's easy to find info on modded tuning, but if others who are running stock tunes can find some newfound power without spending a dime its a wonderful thing.



Trust me Buddy, I'd love to chip this thing and boost it up and find out what I'm missing, but I really need to baby this thing for a few more years... Money isn't my friend with both my girls (wife and kid) going to school on my dime. One more year and the wifey be bringing in some bacon (finally) that will take some pressure off. In the mean time, its grandpa-6.5'in for me!
 
I have been running with slightly less than 2.5" on Heath TM. It has been running great and have more power.

I will test it driving to KY this weekend.
 
A TM works find with a stock tune, but as mentioned, if you don't have enough fuel to make it dance, don't crank up the boost.

Anything is better than a stock tune with Vac control...
 
The big question is the TM at low boost doing better than the factory VAC setup? Assuming all parts work.

I agree 100% only use enough boost that you have the fuel for with this restrictive turbo. Also ideal RPM is ~2100 RPM for the best torque - in my DB2 factory kitty free setup. You can feel the GMX turbo become a restriction in the upper RPM range as you start to accelerate slower as the engine reaches the upper RPM's till she shifts.

Here is what you are missing. (4" exhaust for all.)
Same MPG for all settings seen - load in trailer varied my MPG by ~0.5 MPG.

Factory ~6 PSI spring can and no smoke factory fuel setting.
33 MPH 24' trailer tug at some altitude to Payson. ~7.5 MPG

Belching the smoke with high fuel and factory boost:
33 MPH... (MPG unknown)

14 PSI and a light haze with 1/2 crank on fuel screw.
43 MPH 24' trailer tug at some altitude to Payson. ~7.9 MPG.
 
WarWagon said:
The big question is the TM at low boost doing better than the factory VAC setup? Assuming all parts work.
Click to expand...

Yep, if you're towing, especially at altitude or high ambients. The stock program pulls back on the boost as IATs and water temps climb, which (aside from dropping power dramatically) sends the EGTs through the roof.

The problem is parasitic; the stock program will then pull fuel off to keep things from getting hurt, which makes you push harder.

Note; that's the stock program. Assuming all the vac crap works properly, a good program in a reflash can make things work great. However, so can a Turbomaster (with a reflash). Potato, pot-AH-to.

One thing we all agree on is the stock program is crappy, esp. for towing.
 
Hmmm?

Ah wait a minute, thought we were just discussing reducing the spring tension for less boost was better, weren't we???

But somehow when the stock program does it, the sky falls in???

I'm confused, not that it would be the first time & it don't take much anymore to cornfuse me :skep:
 
well, the stock program cuts boost all together at times which hurts you. Although, not towing the stock program does alright, I ran with a stock "F" EPROM a while and it wasnt so bad. I never defueled and never didnt have boost when I needed it to climb a hill. I didnt tow with it though, and when I didnt have boost I fixed the broken vac lines, which happened 3 different times and places in the lines.
 
The stock program being bad is not a surprise, but, I didn't expect it to do that cut: fuel yes, boost no. I thought it would eliminate boost creep...

Well at least I think the vac pump cuts down belt vibration from the AC compressor vs. no pump on my 1993...
 
You haven't lived until you have tried pulling 9800# uphill in 100* ambients through Utah ... with a stock program. I've never sworn at a truck like that before. It was like somebody turned off the engine...

Boost would just die... drop to nothing. Then it would come back. Then when things heated up, it would defuel. AAaarrggh.

20mph on the shoulder while the semis drove by. Later on, I tried wiring the WG closed, but I couldn't get it tight enough (nobody told me I needed vice grips)... it was still better, but it would still defuel.

Like Buddy says, I never noticed a problem when not towing ... thought it was a little gutless, but livable. I couldn't figure out what all the hype was about 'modding' my engine.

Till I did it. Actually, Bill Heath did it. I was totally amazed at the difference. Still am.

For the record, my boost system was working just as it should up until the day I tossed it in the barrel.... a good program, and I might still have had it, but with the new chip and TM, it worked great. Got an instant 1-2 mpg increase ... towing. We were on holidays, doing maybe 250-300 miles per day , every day, so I noticed that right away.

Best part was, my truck wasn't scared of hills anymore, and * I * passed the damn semis!
 
JiFaire said:
You haven't lived until you have tried pulling 9800# uphill in 100* ambients through Utah ... with a stock program. I've never sworn at a truck like that before. It was like somebody turned off the engine...

Boost would just die... drop to nothing. Then it would come back. Then when things heated up, it would defuel. AAaarrggh.

20mph on the shoulder while the semis drove by. Later on, I tried wiring the WG closed, but I couldn't get it tight enough (nobody told me I needed vice grips)... it was still better, but it would still defuel.

Like Buddy says, I never noticed a problem when not towing ... thought it was a little gutless, but livable. I couldn't figure out what all the hype was about 'modding' my engine.

Till I did it. Actually, Bill Heath did it. I was totally amazed at the difference. Still am.

For the record, my boost system was working just as it should up until the day I tossed it in the barrel.... a good program, and I might still have had it, but with the new chip and TM, it worked great. Got an instant 1-2 mpg increase ... towing. We were on holidays, doing maybe 250-300 miles per day , every day, so I noticed that right away.

Best part was, my truck wasn't scared of hills anymore, and * I * passed the damn semis!
Click to expand...

LOL, that must have been "priceless"
 
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